Rush Bros. review: no need to rush out to play this game

Rush Bros. is a platformer all about speed runs, where each level claims to be affected by the music playing, whether it's the game's soundtrack or your own music; the problem is, despite the quality of the game's soundtrack, the music doesn't seem to provide anything other than something good to listen to while racing through levels; I played multiple levels with different songs and never noticed any differences. There are a few moments when the music plays a part--such as when woofers are in the background and blast sound waves that push back the character--but they are rare and even they don't feel immediately influenced by the music as much as they should be.

You may be asking, "Why is the music integration so important in Rush Bros.?" The answer is simple: it's because the platforming is good but not great, and the music is the number one aspect of Rush Bros. that tries to set it apart from other similar platformers.

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The Pixelated Sausage Podcast #004: Hannibal

And just like that, the first week of episodes is over! "Thank God!" is what we're all thinking, I'm sure. Was it as bad for you as it was for me? Anyway, this fourth episode is all about the amazing Hannibal TV show and went off the rails numerous times due to internet worries and personal overheating; it became very hot in the room where I was recording the show. Regardless of how this episode turned out, you must all--each and everyone of you--check out Hannibal if you haven't already; it's a pretty delicious show.

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The Pixelated Sausage Podcast #003: Animal Crossing: New Leaf

I wasn't sure if I wanted to record an episode about Animal Crossing--specifically the new 3DS game, New Leaf--but I couldn't say no, and now I'm here, writing about my inability to say no. This episode went off the rails a bit--it seemed like at least--but what do you expect from a podcast about a game as stupid and lovable as Animal Crossing? I feel stupid for loving the series, but I will (probably) never stop loving the series no matter how stupid I(t) gets.

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First teaser trailer for the 'Lego Movie' is lovely

Lego blocks are awesome; movies are awesome; and so, it makes perfect sense that a combination of the two would be just as awesome, if not more awesome. Don't believe me? Watch the trailer below and see for yourself. Guess what my favorite part of the trailer is--hint: it involves a renaissance artist. One last thing; I love the stop-motion-esque style of the animation.

The Pixelated Sausage Podcast #002: The Last of Us

Look everyone! I've managed two episodes in a row! Do you know what that means? Nothing; though, it does mean you get to hear my lovely voice once again; not after a visit with the dentist like in the first episode, but this time after a visit with the asthmatic idiot who decides to run and then immediately records a podcast upon his return. I don't know what I'm talking about, but I bet you're all thinking, "Why don't you get to the actual topic of today's show, eh?" That's a great idea! Today's show is all about The Last of Us, the hot, new, sexy (?) game from Naughty Dog that almost everyone loves. Am I loving it too? I guess you'll just have to listen to find out.

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The Pixelated Sausage Podcast #1: Man of Steel

I have been talking about doing a solo podcast for a while now and, after much time and more changes than you might expect, the first (and potentially last) episode is here for you to hear with your ears, which are located just below your hair. (Don't worry, there isn't this much rhyming on the actual podcast.) The basic idea of this show is that I will focus on one topic per episode and each episode will be somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes; on Pixelated Radio, since we record every other week, there I things I want to talk about that slowly fade away by the time we're set to record. This show is just me, talking into a microphone about something specific and I have no idea if it works, so please, if you take the time to listen, let me know what you think.

OK, so this first episode is all about Man of Steel and is overflowing with spoilers, so if you haven't watched the movie yet and plan to, avoid this at all costs; I may also sound weird because I recorded this episode immediately after having a small cavity filled, a.k.a., half my face was (and still is) numb; I'm pretty sure the dentist shot the shit out of my gums with novocaine. Anyway, links to the show--direct, iTunes, etc--can be found below and I hope it's at least not terrible.

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Animal Crossing: New Leaf first impressions: Guess what, it's Animal Crossing

I've been playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf since it came out at 12am EST on June 9. When I first launched the game, I was giddy and couldn't wait to start fishing, picking fruit, catching bugs, and digging up fossils. Then I realized it was 12am EST and no in-game store was open, so all my plans were killed by the game's real-time clock. What did I do? I time traveled. I did the one thing I find most despicable among Animal Crossing players, but I had been waiting so long and couldn't bare waiting ten hours just because the game is as good as dead in the middle of the night when you have no tools or anything other than a backpack full of fruit you can't sell or plant. And so, I time traveled for a brief moment, bought myself a shovel and a fishing rod, and then immediately time traveled back to where I came from; for those unfamiliar with the franchise, time traveling is not a part of the game, it is done by changing the console's internal clock, thus, tricking the game into believing it's a time different than the actual time. I have not time traveled again since.

Nothing against those who time travel, but you guys and gals are stupid. Alright, that wasn't nice, but I find time traveling in Animal Crossing--unless you've been waiting years and just need some tools because the game is empty at midnight without them--pointless. The charm of Animal Crossing has so much to do with its use of real time; having to wait for something that is only available at a specific time or during a specific season, etcetera, makes the game feel special; if you time travel, you rip out all that makes the game special. If you feel inclined to time travel in Animal Crossing, you might as well time travel in real life, to a point in the future when you've already beaten the game and have no more reason to play.

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Robert from The Last of Us and Bronn are the same person

I have just started playing The Last of Us and the first thing I thought when I saw Robert was, "Oh shit! That's Bronn from Game of Thrones!" Robert isn't voiced by the actor who plays Bronn, but he has to have been the inspiration for Robert's look because they are just too similar to be a coincidence. What do you think? (Also, I wish Bronn was more prevalent in season 3.)

How not to run over a zombie in State of Decay

State of Decay is an awesome open-world game that y'all should check out if you haven't already; there's a lot packed into the game and only playing it can show you just how great it is. That said, this is what can happen when you try to run over too many zombies at once.

State of Decay preview: a fun and tense open-world game

State of Decay isn't lying; it is a world in a state of decay, infested with zombies, and your ultimate goal, from what I've played, is survival. State of Decay isn't scary, but it has filled me with an almost constant feeling of tension as I explore the world, complete missions, look for survivors, and scavenge for supplies because death is, quite literally, behind every corner; zombies can be found anywhere and it is up to you to decide whether the potential reward is worth the risk.

State of Decay is, when I think about it, a game entirely about risk and reward—searching buildings and the like takes a while, but you can speed up the process at the risk of alerting a horde from the added noise that comes with expedited searching; guns can take down zombies much faster than melee weapons, but the noise, if not using a silencer, will bring a lot of unwanted attention; the entire game is filled with similar choices and, as someone who is usually more cautious in games, I find myself risking my in-game life more often than not because death is not scary or annoying, causing constant retries, it is just a part of the world and inevitable.

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